A report yesterday claimed that the Trump administration was considering the option of a 5G wireless network controlled by the United States government. An Axios report based on internal government documents had revealed that the US government will be in complete charge of such a network. However, it appears those documents were just a proposal and nothing "serious or imminent".
White House: US government isn't considering nationalization of 5G networks
With a goal to protect against cyberattacks - specifically Chinese - the documents suggested that Trump's national security team was in favor of a single network funded and controlled by the government. Recode reports today that the documents are actually outdated and the plan was never under consideration.
This clarification comes following Ajit Pai, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, released a statement opposing such a network earlier today. "I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network," the statement reads. "The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector's development over the past three decades - including American leadership in 4G - is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment."
Pai added that "any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future."
Recode says that multiple White House officials have confirmed that the document is outdated and that the proposal was "merely floated" by an unnamed official at the National Security Council. The document is "not a reflection of some imminent, major policy announcement - and probably might never be".
